Israeli brigadier general Avi Rosenfeld announced on Sunday that he is stepping down due to his failure to protect Israeli border communities near Gaza during the Hamas terror attack on 7 October, reports Haaretz.
"For several long hours, we failed to protect the communities, thousands of residents, thousands of festival-goers at the music festival and troops stationed at the border posts," Rosenfeld says in a statement to local Israeli authorities in the border areas with Gaza.
"It hurts, and every day I bear the high price that civilians, IDF soldiers and security forces paid," he continues.
Rosenfeld, who leads the IDF's Gaza Division with responsibility for areas near the border with Gaza, states that he will remain in his position until a replacement is appointed.
During the Hamas-coordinated terror attack, around 1,200 people were killed and over 200 were taken hostage.
Since the Gaza War broke out, more than 36,700 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
